Like her sister ships in this Holland America series, the
ms Veendamcompleted all Signature of Excellence enhancements to her public rooms and staterooms in Spring 2005. The enhancements focus on accommodations, service, dining, itinerary development and enrichment programs and activities. Examples include As You Wish dining for open seating, a new Culinary Arts Center program for kids, and the expansion of shore activities to include private touring options in port
The ms Veendamentered service in 1996 as the fourth and final ship in the series that includes the Maasdam, Ryndamand Statendam.
This Netherlands-registered, 55,451-ton ship with Dutch officers and a mainly Filipino and Indonesian crew of 602 is 720 ft long, with a beam of 101 ft, draft of 24.6 ft, 10 passenger decks, and a cruising speed of 21 knots. She carries 1,258 passengers in 633 cabins.
Itineraries include 7-day western Caribbean cruises from Tampa, and cruises of the same length between Vancouver and Seward via Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka and Hubbard Glacier or Glacier Bay. In September and April she makes 20- and 18-day repositioning runs between Alaska and the Caribbean via the Panama Canal.
The three-deck atrium extends from the Lower Promenade Deck to the Upper Promenade, where most public rooms are located. Understated and elegant, these feature high-quality furnishings and abundant art with a Dutch-exploration theme. The latter distinguishes this ship from her sisters. The ship has five lounges, including a cozy piano bar and an observation lounge-cum-dayclub overlooking the bow from the top deck. At the opposite end of the ship is the smart bi-level show room, which features improving Broadway- and Vegas-style entertainment. As this staid line tries to jazz up its somewhat stodgy image, the show room has taken on the stamp of imaginative ship designer Joe Farcus, the flamboyant fellow behind parent Carnival's "Fun Ships." The casino offers a variety of games, and outside, a computer beams thousands of constantly changing images in a kinetic art display. The Crow's Nest, designed by Dutch architect Frans Dingemans, is a multipurpose area divided into a verdant gardenlike room with rattan chairs and greenery for afternoon tea, a nautical Captain's nook with leather armchairs, and a disco. The theater is used for lectures, films, religious services and meetings, which also gather in two adjacent function rooms serving up to 150. Two tennis courts supplement two pools (one on the lido, with whirlpools and a wading pool, has a retractable glass roof), a sauna, steam rooms, a beauty salon and massage. The "Passport to Fitness" program awards points for daily exercise and activities that can be redeemed for prizes. Shore excursions are excellent, as is the year-round children's program with full-time youth coordinators catering to three age groups from age 3 up. A wide teak deck encircles Lower Promenade Deck, affording ample space for strolling, jogging or sunning in chaise lounges.
The 400-seat Lido Restaurantoffers well-organized breakfast and luncheon buffets and, in response to requests for more casual dining, now serves as an alternative dinner venue as well. Windows on three sides provide views from the main dining room, which seats 657 on two levels connected by an ornate staircase. Rosenthal china, fine glassware and fresh flowers adorn tables, and a string quartet serenades at dinner. The food unfortunately remains bland, and the once sharp service aboard is slipping as HAL's expansion moves the talent to other ships. Adjacent to the upper dining room is a private wing that allows up to 44 people to enjoy special celebrations. The second private room is now a Pinnacle Grillserving steaks, chicken and fish for an extra charge.
All 633 staterooms (366 outsides) have sofas, TVs, phones with computerized wake-up calls, music systems, and queen beds that convert to two singles. Deluxe rooms and suites add VCRs, minibars, whirlpool tubs and verandas. 52 cabins have connecting doors, and six are wheelchair accessible. Room service is round the clock throughout.
